Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US campus) diarrhoea.

2004

Eble Campus Sl. Apr.

(US prison) a forced confrontation to see how brave a new inmate may be.

2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Mud Check: Confronting a convict to see if he or she will stand up for one’s self.
2006		Prison Slang Mommyblogger mydogharriet.blogspot.com 2 Mar. 🌐 That knick-knack needs to get mud checked for getting on your leg and then cappin’ it with no explanation.

(N.Z.) an unattractive person.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

(US black) an attractive woman.

1985

T.R. Houser Central Sl.

(US) a derog. term for a black person.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 55: Mud Flap A black person.

1. (US) a derog. term for a black woman.

1912		Salt Lake Trib. (UT) 7 Jan. 34/1: [cartoon caption] I’ll show you what brains can do, you bone-headed mud hens!
1914		A. Jennings Beating Back in Hamilton (1952) 99: Jar loose, mud hen!

2. (US) slightly derog. generic for a person.

1932

D.W. Lovelace King Kong 127: ‘Some of you mudhens take Miss Ann from the mate before he falls in his tracks’.

3. (US prison) a lazy person.

1971–2

C. Shafer ‘Catheads [...] and Cho-Cho Sticks’ in Abernethy Bounty of Texas (1990) 211: pull- do (poule d’eau, or mudhen), n. – someone who is lazy.

an act of defecation.

2000

N. Griffiths Grits 316: Oo. Big one ther. Birruver ring-stinger, that . . . a red-wine dump, poo, mud-out, crap, shite.

(US) a homosexual man.

1992

Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 60: Mud Packer A person who takes the dominant role in a homosexual relationship.

the feet.

1923

J. Manchon Le Slang.

thick boots, gumboots.

1829		Reading Mercury 6 Apr. 4/5: A pair of cloth Mud Pipes, with unbleached pearl buttons [...] a canary and a bull.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1840		Courier (Hobart, Tas.) 27 Oct. 3/1: [advert, from UK source] Mud-pipes, kneecaps, and Trotter-cases equally cheap.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1857		advert in ‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue (1857) 45: Mud Pipes, Knee Caps, and Trotter Cases, built very low.

(US campus) an ugly woman.

1996

Eble Sl. and Sociability 70: Dog is often the second member of a compound or phrase: [...] As with many slang words for animals, dog and its spinoffs often have sexual implications. A bowser, bow-wow, or mud puppy is an ‘ugly female’.

a street sweeper.

1909

(ref. to 1870) in J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.

1. in pl., large, cheap shoes.

1863		US Army and Navy Journal I 180/2: Expensive shoes [...] are often thrown away unused, for the despised Government ‘mudscows.’ These ‘mudscows’ or ‘gunboats’ [...] are low-cut, stitched, very light, and very cheap [...]. The sole is very broad, and the heels broad and low [DA].
1909		Carr & Chase in ‘Word-List From Aroostook’ in DN III:v 413: mudscows, n. Large shoes.

2. in pl., feet.

1860

(con. c.1820) Sleeper In Forecastle 386: Tread water lustily with those mud scows (pointing to his feet) [HDAS].

(US black) a white man or woman who prefers black partners.

2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 mud shark Definition: a white girl who only dates black men Example: You can give up on that, she’s a mud shark.
2004		J. Ellroy ‘Hollywood Fuck Pad’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 228: She’s a nympho. She pulls trains for spooks. She’s a real mud shark.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 38: ‘Otto Preminger?’ ‘Mud shark. Currently enthralled with a sepia seductress’.

1. (UK society) an agricultural show or any similar outdoor event.

1909

J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.

2. (US) an old-fashioned circus; thus mud-showman, one who runs or works at such a circus.

1926		P. White ‘A Circus List’ in AS I:5 282: Mud show — The old time wagon show. Sometimes called a ‘mud op’ry’.
1927		K. Nicholson Barker 150: Mud showman – A carnival man.
1927		T. Thursday ‘West Goes South’ in Everybody’s Oct. 🌐 Sweeney used to be a press-agent for a small mud-show.

1. the penis.

1998

‘Jizz at the work place’ Dreamsonweb.net 5 Dec. 🌐 [He] wipped out his 13 inch limp alabama mud snake and began to crank his shaft. then he spit a wad all over my boss.

2. a turd.

2000

J. Buchman ‘feeling bad for u’ posting 12 May at TonyaHarding.com 🌐 I ran into the bathroom and laid the biggest mudsnake in my life. It didn’t flush down properly; so I left it sitting there and got back to Tonya.

an agricultural student.

1856		N&Q Ser. 2 II 198: A young friend of mine... a mud-student [F&H].
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.

(US) a contemptible person.

1896		‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer, Detective xi 527: A mud-turtle of a back-settlement lawyer [DA].
c.1929		Z.N. Hurston Bone of Contention (1995) 973: If I had dat nule bone heah, Ahd teach a few mo’ uh yuh mud-turtles something.
1930		J.T. Farrell ‘Looking ’Em Over’ in Short Stories (1937) 50: Sa-ay, don’t be a mud turtle.

(US) from a man’s point of view, to have sexual intercourse.

1984		LaBarge & Holt Sweetwater Gunslinger 201 (1990) 63: ‘You going to get your ashes hauled tonight?’ [...] ‘What does that mean?’ ‘Same as getting some mud for your turtle, honey.’.
2001		B. Klein ‘Disorderly Condit’ in ‘My Worst Nightmare’ on Bill Klein On-Line 🌐 I got in trouble because some intern in my employ had disappeared and everyone thought we were romantically involved but I said no she was just a good friend but then they found out that I’d been using her to get mud for my turtle, so to speak.

(US gay) to have anal intercourse.

1989–2003

R.O. Scott Gay Sl. Dict. 🌐 anal intercourse: [...] Syn: get some mud for the duck.

to smoke opium.

1953

Anslinger & Tompkins Traffic In Narcotics 310: hit the mud. To use opium as a drug in any way.

1. (US black) to keep one’s own counsel, to keep quiet.

1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 31: ‘So you couldn’t hold your mud?’ Nunn shrugged.
1967		J. Horton ‘Time and cool people’ in Trans-action 4 8/2: When one knows what’s happening he can operate in many scenes, providing that he can ‘hold his mud’ (keep cool and out of trouble).
1979		Maledicta III:2 232: He also may or may not know the following words and expressions: [...] hold your mud.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 151: Do your own time, hold your own mud.
2001		P. Gourevitch Cold Case (2002) 82: He was somewhat successful at not giving information to people. He held his mud.
2005		J. Stahl I, Fatty 240: When I asked, Gavin held his mud.
2015		J. Stahl OG Dad 25: Again, I managed to hold my mud, But back in the car [...] I had to bring it [i.e. a worrying topic] up.

2. (US drugs) to be courageous.

1968

‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2.

3. (US) to control one’s bowel movements.

2013

J. Stahl Happy Mutant Baby Pills 15: Americans like to think of themselves as mud-holders. You don’t see the Greatest Generation diapering up.

(gay) to have anal intercourse.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1985		T.R. Houser Central Sl. 40: packin’ the mud Anal intercourse.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 63: Packin’ Mud An expression for anal intercourse.

(Aus.) potatoes.

1941

A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 10 June [synd. cartoon strip] Tell his reverence there’s loop the loop, snags and mud balls, strike me dead, slip in the gutter and Chinese comfort fund. The cook said there’s soup, sausages and potatoes, bread and butter and rice.

(US) derog. term for an African-American.

2019

S.M. Jones Lives Laid Away [ebook] ‘Fuck you, mud boy,’ Brecker growled.

see mud-head n. (2)

(drugs) homegrown marijuana.

2002

J. Burkardt ‘Itty Bitty: Nonsense Rhymes’ Wordplay 🌐 This is a list of phrases made of pairs of words that rhyme [...] mud bud (homegrown marijuana).

1. a stupid or contemptible person.

1865		‘Mark Twain’ Letters I 323: A scheming, groveling mud-cat of a lawyer.
1938		D. Runyon ‘Cemetery Bait’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 521: A fink being a character who is lower than a mudcat’s vest pocket.

2. a Mississippian [Mississippi is known as the Mudcat State].

1872		Schele De Vere Americanisms 660: Mississippi is occasionally spoken of humorously as the Mudcat State, the inhabitants being quite generally known as Mud-cats, a name given to the large catfish abounding in the swamps and the mud of the rivers .
1945		Chicago Daily News 16 Aug. 10/7: While we are laying down surrender terms for the Japanese, how about a Declaration on Senator ‘Dear Dago’ Bilbo, the Mississippi mudcat? [DA].

1. (Aus.) milit. the infantry.

1895

C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 51: Mud Crushers, the name given by the cavalry to the infantry.

2. (US black) an extreme form of bully whose aim is to crush everyone into the ground.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

3. see gravel-crusher under gravel n.

(mid-19C) toadying, sycophancy.

1869

Sportsman (London) 8 July 2/1: Notes on News [...] It Is with great pleasure that take our part in the general mud-eating in honour of his Royal Highness Prince Arthur.

(UK Und.) a foot.

1846

Swell’s Night Guide 61: Twig his gams; stage his mud fakers – there’s a pair of crab spoilers – talk of a foot, why it’s fourteen inches.

(Aus.) very fat.

1932		‘William Hatfield’ Ginger Murdoch 18: I got this thing [...] orf a Pong in Cunnamulla, mud-fat he was (the horse) — you know the way they feed ’em.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.

see mullet n.²

1. (US black) noticeably large feet.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

2. (Aus.) large ears.

1978

T. Davies More Aus. Nicknames 71: Mud Flaps Has protruding ears.

3. the female breasts.

2005

Mad mag. Feb. 50: That Kirstie Alley, she’s got some nice mud flaps!

see separate entries.

see grappler n. (1)

1. (N.Z.) a bald head; occas. ext. as shiny on top, all shit beneath.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 138: mudguard Bald head, sometimes with the accompanying phrase shiny on top, all shit beneath.

2. (Aus. prison, also muddy, mudguard screw) a prison officer, posing as kind but acting otherwise.

2006		B. Matthews Intractable [ebook] The SOD Squad crew, a driver and two escorts, were poseurs [...] They were only mudguards – screws who were nice and shiny on top but the same shit underneath. The muddy sitting in the back with me made a half-hearted attempt to be friendly.
2006		B. Matthews Intractable [ebook] He was one of the old bashers who got promoted to a ‘mudguard screw’ working on the SOD [Special Operations Division] Squad.

(N.Z.) a fat person.

1965		J. O’Grady Aussie Eng. (1966) 60: You will become very fat, and will earn for yourself the title of ‘mud-guts’.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

see separate entries.

1. street mud and slush.

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 762: ca. 1870–1914.

2. beer.

1910

‘O. Henry’ ‘Compliments of the Season’ in Strictly Business (1915) 204: He held in his hand the key to a paradise of the mud-honey that he craved. [Ibid.] ‘Past One at Rooney’s’ 260: This mud honey was clarified sweetness to his taste.

see separate entry.

see mud hook n. (2)

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

see separate entry.

(US black) shoes.

1971

(con. 1930s–50s) D. Wells Night People 118: Mudlocks. Shoes.

see mud hook n. (2)

(UK Und.) a crossing sweeper.

1846

Swell’s Night Guide 73: I piped a donna vot vas dossing next pad from us vith lucifer cove and the mud-penciller.

a heavy boot, suitable for cross-country walking.

1831		Satirist (London) 22 May 56/3: Looking at the old pair of mudplungers.
1862		Illus. Times 11 Jan. 11/2: ‘My mark is mud-plungers [...] look here, Jerry!’ So saying the speaker shot forward one of his legs, which Jerry glanced at.

(UK tramp) walking through muddy streets and lanes in the hope of securing hand-outs; thus mud-plunger, one who does this.

1871		J. Greenwood in Dly Teleg. 16 Feb. 3/2: ‘Mud-plungers’ – beggars whose harvest-time is when they can wade in the middle of the road and in pouring rain, with an agonising display of saturated rags and mire-sodden naked feet.
1873		Bradford Obs. 4 Nov. 4/1: That rascal and his wife are street singers and cadgers of the sort known as mud-plungers. Fine weather don’t suit ’em.
1876		J. Greenwood Low-Life Deeps 270: That rascal and his wife are street singers and cadgers of the sort known as ‘mud-plungers.’ Fine weather don’t suit ’em; they can’t come out strong enough.
1883		Daily Tel. 8 Feb. 3, col. 1: It doesn’t matter if it’s house to house work or chanting, or mud-plunging, it’s cold work [F&H].

(Aus.) a dredgerman.

1851		Freeman’s Jrnl (Sydney) 6 Nov. 11/4: It appears that [...] the latter went into his house, and returning with a pistol, levelled it at the unfortunate man’s head and blew away the whole of his lower jaw and tongue.
1878		Express and Teleg. (Adelaide) 26 Jun. 2/7: A mud puncher might think different, but what can he know about it?
1882		Port Augusta Dispatch (SA) 2 Sept. 4/7: [H]e would begin to find himself quite at home with a mud puncher over a glass of Dog’a Nose, ‘so early in the morning’.
1890		South Bourke & Mornington Jrnl (Richmond, Vic.) 17 Dec. 2/7: People about were angry at the wild joke, but the mud-puncher’s ‘pal’ was overjoyed at the newly-discovered talent in his mate.
1943		Advertiser (Adelaide) 13 May 4/8: Laborers raised the silt and shovelled it up from the barges on to a stage erected half-way up the wharfside, and again threw it up on the wharf. There the ‘mud punchers’’ job ended, and it was loaded by the draymen.
1953		Recorder (Port Pirie, SA) 30 Mar. 3/3: Mr Smith drifted in reverie back to days when as a boy he carried hot meals to a gang of ‘M.Ps,’ (‘Mud Punchers’) engaged in shovelling silt from the river bed on to barges.

a member of parliament.

1911

J.W. Horsley Memoirs of a ‘Sky Pilot’ 254: The plainly modern ‘monkey on a gridiron’ for cyclist, [...] and ‘mud-pusher’ for M.P.

a pair of boots.

1840

Flash Mirror 7: [A] light-coloured neck scrag, gold chin prop, turnip and bunch of onions, pinched-in pin covers and Wellington mud-rakers .

see separate entries.

see mud hook n. (2)

(US black) second-rate, impoverished.

1968

N. Heard Howard Street 14: Long months of mud-stomping prostitution caused her to hesitate.

to defecate loudly.

1997

Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: blow mud v. To noisily expel a loose stool; crop spray (qv).

(US black) to let down, to disappoint.

1928

R. Fisher Walls Of Jericho 144: Jivin’ a dickty gal now [...] Bringin’ me mud. [Ibid.] 297: Bring Mud To fall below expectations, disappoint. He who escorts a homely sheba to a dickty shout brings mud.

(US) to move very fast.

1953

Randolph & Wilson Down in the Holler 238: One of our neighbors said to his small son, ‘You just cut mud for home, afore I take a hickory to you!’.

see separate entries.

extremely poor.

1957

D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 62: Farm’s as poor as mud.

(Aus.) unsatisfactory.

1906		Sun. Times (Perth) 1 Apr. 4/7: I just bin t’ see this ’ere pitcher o’ Tom Roberts’s. Up t’ mud. In my opinion anyow.
1912		Sun. Times (Perth, Aus.) 25 Feb. 14/1: We wanted to know how they’d characterise anyone they didn’t like. ‘Oh, we’d say he’s up to mud,’ they returned easily.
1918		J.S. Finney 13 Feb. diary 🌐 Got into quarters and found I was detailed for Ration carrying. Game up to mud. [...] 17 Feb. Went and saw the Doctor. He reckons I’ve nothing much wrong with me. [..] His opinion up to mud. [add def.].
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.
1943		North. Times (Carnarvon, WA) 24 Sept. 2/6: Up to Mud: Worthless, uselsss, no good.
1965		J. O’Grady Aussie Eng. (1966) 60: Anything ‘up to mud’ is ‘not up to much’.

see separate entry.

see here’s mud in your eye! excl.